April 23, 2005. A CAAT team supported by regular grunts, hell I don't remember what their call sign was, there had been so many of them at this point, was transporting my team from the FOB to one of the Company CPs to interrogate a PUC.
About half way down route Mobile I was looking out the widow watching for IEDs and a sharp pain hit my chest and a split second later, and I mean less than a split second, the sound hit us.
Instantly the Doc riding in the truck turned to me (he must have heard me scream or something, but I do not remember screaming) and started pulling off my vest, with deft hands he went to work. But by the time he had placed the dressing on my chest he stopped moving.
By this time the endorphins had set in and I really could not feel anything. I turned to look at him, and he just lay there slumped over me in a pile in the truck.
Doc Kent of First Battalion Sixth Marines was tasked with our wellbeing during the thirty minutes I knew him. But it was a task he did not take lightly.
It seems that he either did not notice that he had been wounded, or simply ignored the wound to treat one of his Marines. Either way. Even without the medals, or citations, he is a hero to me. Even though my wound was minor, he was willing to ignore his own pain to make sure I was OK.
I do not think that I said more than five words to him. But he treated me as if I had been in his charge for years.
Thanks Doc, and you will never be forgotten.
After I recovered, and finished out the deployment I traveled to Oregon and met with his family. It was difficult to say the least. But I acquired another family. Yours are mine, and mine are yours.
Semper Fi, and God speed.
Eric.
Fallen Heroes Memorial: Navy Hospitalman Aaron A. Kent
There have been so many heroes made. But it seems that our own citizens would rather condemn them because they disagree with what one man says. In my most humble opinion, you can go lick a big one and smile.
This is not intended to be a debate, and I would ask humbly that the first Mod that sees this locks this thread.
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